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KARNAK, EGYPT
Karnak is without a doubt the single most impressive monument in Egypt that we have visited to date. The sheer scale of this complex of temples, sanctuaries, pylons and obelisks is spectacular, all built in dedication to the Theban Gods and Egypt's Middle and New Kingdom rulers. The entire site measures about 1 mile x 2500 feet and was built, added to, dismantled, restored and enlarged and decorated over a period of nearly 1500 years. It was the most important place of worship in all Egypt.
You enter the main temple via an avenue of Ram-headed Sphinxes and are instantly dwarfed by the sheer monumentality of the place. We marveled at just how such an incredible feat of engineering and artistry could be achieved. Every wall surface, pillar, column and ceiling had been carved with hieroglyphics, which, if you could read them, would undoubtedly give you a wonderful insight into customs and religious rites of the period. The 'Great Hypostyle Hall' is the centerpiece of this colossal complex, resulting in a series of enormous carved pillars that flare outward at the top in emulation of the papyrus plant that grew profusely along the banks of the Nile. There are two obelisks in the center temple area dedicated to Hatshepsut, carved from granite with the tallest being around 100 feet high. As far as I could tell they were each carved from a single block of stone! When they were first erected they were covered in a layer of alloyed gold and silver from the top down to the mid-point and hieroglyphs adorned their length. Adjacent is the Sacred Lake (now green and dirty), where the Priests of Amun used to purify themselves before performing ceremonies in the temple.
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On the West side of Karnak is a rarely visited but quite exquisite temple that once more offered us a special treat. Among the pillars and carved columns there was a small room off in the far corner that a guard led us to for the price of 'baksheesh'.
It had one small doorway and the interior looked dark and we wondered what surprise lay ahead. The guard held up a reflective sheet of stainless steel and directed the sun's rays toward the interior of the chamber. Light suddenly filled the room revealing walls that had beautifully carved reliefs that were brilliantly colored depicting the ancient Egyptians worshiping their respective Gods. We had a similar experience over on the East side of the sprawling Karnak complex, again in a small sanctuary that received almost no traffic. The head of the guards led us to a locked room that housed a spectacular statue of a God, carved in black granite and standing about 6 feet tall. Again, the room was almost pitch black except for a small rectangular hole in the ceiling that allowed a single shaft of light to fall directly onto the statue. The effect was mystical and mesmerizing with the light playing off the shiny polished surfaces of the statue. We felt privileged to have had these memorable experiences which fully rounded off our visit to Karnak
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LUXOR, continued
Sunrise on the West bank.
We agreed to meet our young friend Ahmed for a ride into the hills above the temple of Hatshepsut on his donkeys. Its 5.30am when we cross the Nile on the local ferry once more. Our donkeys await us and we set off promptly for the hills. The moon is a sliver in the sky and the light begins to rise as we travel through the village of Gurna. The houses here are made from mud and straw brick construction with dirt floors and colorful exteriors. Chickens, goats and donkeys wander the streets, while dirty bare- footed children and their mothers draped in black from head to toe tend to the morning chores. Its green and lush and the air is refreshingly cool at this hour. Taking the steep dusty trail up the mountainside, we head for the summit to watch the sunrise over the Nile valley and the temple below. A hot air balloon hovers in the sky below us with occasional blasts of fire as it ascends.
Its an enchanting sky that creates a feeling of gratitude for life and its richness. Viewing the temple from above added a whole new dimension to its scale and complexity and from this perspective we were able to see aspects of temple that were impossible to see from the ground level. On the return journey we make our way past an archeological dig and through one of the many alabaster carving villages in this region and onward to Ahmed's village, where we were treated to his family's hospitality. During the short time we had spent with Ahmed, we had formed a close friendship and his friendly nature and sincerity won us over. In turn we had obviously made an impact on him, as he generously presented us with a picture he had drawn for us specially, staying up most of the previous night to complete it. We were extremely touched by this gesture. Wishing him well, we said our good-byes and crossed back over to the east side of Luxor to catch a bus south to Aswan.
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